Writing Faster and Smarter #IWSG | Ghosts of Fire Released #fantasy #horror

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. This month's co-hosts are Beverly Stowe McClure, Megan Morgan, Viola Fury, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Angela Wooldridge, and Susan Gourley. Visit the other participants here.

My thoughts have been returning to NaNoWriMo, which is less than a month away. I participated in NaNoWriMo from 2009-2013. I have been writing every day since July 1, 2015, but I'd like to stretch my fingers, so to speak, and write more words in a month.
Since I want to find ways to increase my word count, I've been reading a few books on the subject: Chris Fox's 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Writer Smarter, Rachel Aaron's 2k to 10k: Writing, Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love, and Jacqueline Garlick's Tick-Tock Plot. Although none of these books re-invent the wheel, I do believe they'll help me focus and plan better to use my writing time even more wisely. I'm using Chris's spreadsheet to keep track of how many words I write per day in combination to what I learned from Rachel's book about tracking my enthusiasm as I write and what chapter I'm working on, and I plan to use Tick-Tock Plot to help in plotting my next book.

I hope to see improvement to my words per hour/day as well as where my book might be sagging. After all, I would love to consistently write/type 1500-2000 words per day in an hour's time. *crosses fingers*
I've set a deadline to finish the first draft of A Soul to Reap by October 31. If I can do so, then I'll participate in NaNoWriMo with A Soul to Keep (Soul Reaper 2). We'll see how it goes, especially since I'll likely have to write 35,000+ words to finish A Soul to Reap in time.
This month's question: When do you know your story is ready? I read a quote recently about stories are never finished but abandoned. That's probably very true. I can always find something to fix, but I call a story finished when I am not making any major changes, the story has been through edits, and I'm in the stages where I'm just changing a word here and there.
What are you insecure about this month?
I've gotten a lot finished in the month of September. I've written through Chapter 16 in A Soul to Reap. Just seventeen chapters left to go!
I edited A Soul to Save (A Soul Reaper prequel novella), edited/proofread/formatted two novellas for my friend, and proofread and formatted Ghosts of Fire (Elements of Untethered Realms 3).
My goals for October include:- Write two thirty-minute sprints a day in A Soul to Reap. As you've seen above, I would love to finish this novel by the end of the month so I can participate in NaNoWriMo.- Outline A Soul to Keep (Soul Reaper 2).- Start my read-through/notes of The Fate Challenges. I'm starting at Reborn and plan to keep on reading until I've finished the series. This goal will likely take several months, but I'm hoping to complete it by the end of the year so I can start editing the last two books, the novella, and the bonus woodwose scenes.- Continue to help my friend publish her fantastic novella series.
What are your goals for this month?
2016 Stats: 267,148 words written and 1,767 pages edited
BOOKS READShadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca HamiltonDark Dawning by Christine RainsSilent Whispers by Christine RainsGhosts of Fire by Untethered Realms' authors
BOOK REVIEWSShadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton Finding who killed her fiancé leads Detective Brooke Chandler down a supernatural path that there might not be a way out of in Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton's Shadow Born. Brooke is a strong character. She may not always know what's going on, but her persistence pays off and gets her into a bit a trouble. Walt and Hamilton paint a vivid supernatural world. The mysteries brewing in Salem drew me in bit by bit until I was completely hooked, and I feel we've just scratched the surface of this fantastic world. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Shadows of Salem series. An intense start to a new series, Shadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton is a great read.
Dark Dawning by Christine Rains Polar bear shifter Ametta Dorn dreams of the big city, as long as that city isn't in Alaska, in Christine Rains' Dark Dawning, but those dreams will be put on hold until Ametta and her family stop the hunters seeking down shifters for their skins. Ametta is a spitfire, sure-of-herself woman who can be more than a bit stubborn about things. Lucky Osberg can be stubborn as well as he and Ametta butt heads on matters. The mystery of who is killing shifters and why intrigues me. We don't get all the answers to our questions, but it's a good thing we have eight more novella-length tales to read. Rains weaves Inuit mythology with a modern day world populated by paranormal creatures. I enjoyed the glimmers of romance brewing between Ametta and Lucky too. I found myself grinning more than once at Lucky's antics. Dark Dawning by Christine Rains sets up what I think will be a great urban fantasy series.
Silent Whispers by Christine Rains Polar bear shifter Kinley Dorn wants to get out from behind the computer and help her family find the missing totem tokens, but doing so may put her life in danger in Christine Rains' Silent Whispers. Book two in the Totem series follows the middle Dorn sister Kinley. As much as I loved Ametta, Kinley is close to my heart as she's an awkward geek with fierce bravery. Ransom Averill, a lynx shapeshifter, matches her well and they make a great team to go against a giant in search for one of the tokens. I also think Bert has become one of my favorite vampires of all time. He's classic! The mysteries continue as we delve further into the world Rains has created here. Silent Whispers by Christine Rains has some great twists and turns that keep the reader reading. I'm looking forward to the next Totem book!
Ghosts of Fire by Untethered Realms' authors Ghosts of Fire features ten thrilling fantasy and horror short stories by Angela Brown, Jeff Chapman, River Fairchild, Gwen Gardner, Misha Gerrick, Meradeth Houston, M. Pax, Christine Rains, Cherie Reich (me!), and Catherine Stine. In Jeff Chapman's "The Flaming Emerald," Jimmy and Orville must return a cursed emerald before they go up in flames. This story has such fantastic voice that sets the reader right on down into an old western setting. Meradeth Houston creates a world not too different from our own in "The Cost of Greatness," but I'm hoping for a better outcome from our world. The Otherkind were fascinating creatures, and I would love to read more about them. "On Day 168" was by me (Cherie Reich), so I'll just say if you like dragons, elves, and treachery, then you might like my story as much as I do. In M. Pax's "The Vargaries of Eloise Stanton," Lucy must save her family from a museum art project gone awry. I loved the use of mirrors to reflect Lucy and the grim worlds she's caught between in her attempts to free her family. Gwen Gardner takes the reader to England in her "Mind the Gap." I enjoyed the idea of Gap Walkers and the combination of it and art theft. Ryan and Aleria are caught in a struggle to the death in Misha Gerrick's "Ryan." This short story makes me want to read her novel Endless. I'm intrigued with the creatures of phoenixes and griffons and how Gerrick uses them in her story. "Rollerskate Boys" by Catherine Stine is a haunting and yet vibrant story. Stine paints such beautiful pictures with her words. Many people know the tale of Hades and Persephone, but I love what Christine Rains has done in her story "The Torchbearer," which focuses on one of Hekate's lampades and the handsome prophet who foretold the six. In Angela Brown's "In Plain Sight," Kazel and Amandine reveal each other's secrets in their escape from the Harvestors. Having read Brown's Neverlove, I found it to be a lot of fun revisiting that world she created. River Fairchild's "Demon in the Basement" is a chilling story where Robert must revisit his childhood home to destroy the evil within. The style reminded me of some Stephen King stories. Even though I was one of the editors and contributors to Ghosts of Fire and may be a bit biased, I have to say this is one of my favorite anthologies to be in to date.
From USA Today, Amazon bestselling, and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Ghosts of Fire, a supernatural anthology of ten thrilling tales. Meet paranormal detectives, imprisoned dragons, dark demons, cursed jewels, and handsome prophets. Explore shifting realms trapped in mirrors and a disturbing future where a president aims to rid the world of Otherkind. Ghosts of Fireis the third, long-awaited Elements story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group.
Now AvailableAmazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Nook (Forthcoming) | SmashwordsAdd on Goodreads.
#SPECFIC BOOKS RELEASING IN OCTOBERGhosts of Fire by Untethered Realms' authorsA Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay SmithNemesis by Anna BanksIron Man: The Gauntlet by Eoin ColferRebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartinoMoon Chosen by P.C. CastThe Delphi Effect by Rysa WalkerRift by Elana JohnsonShadow Marked by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca HamiltonBloodwalker by L.X. CainRemember Yesterday by Pintip DunnSpindle by Shonna SlaytonDark Dawning by Christine RainsSilent Whispers by Christine RainsThe Midnight Star by Marie Lu
The Hunt by Harper A. Brooks
Children of the Veil by Colleen Halverson
Crosstalk by Connie Willis
Venom and Vanilla by Shannon Mayer
The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn